I've sent the sales proposal so why won’t they return my call?
Q: How many proposals have you sent in the last 6 weeks?
Q: How many customers on receiving it, immediately picked up the phone and exclaimed "That it is the best proposal I have ever read I absolutely must have your product or service right now?
Q: How much time have you spent on follow-up phone calls or emails, only to get fobbed off with ever increasingly creative excuses. “He’s in a meeting right now". "She’s away on holiday", or my personal favourite “They’re on the other line, I'll ask them to call you back”.
No they’re not, and no they won't, they just don’t want to speak to you because you sent them a boring useless proposal which didn’t excite them, they haven’t read it and as a result they can’t be bothered to speak to you!
OK so time to get smart and smart sales people don’t send sales proposals! The paperwork should only be necessary once the sale is closed. They are buying you, your product and what you present to them, not what follows on in a written proposal. Instead stay smart and in control of the sale right up until the end.
If you are the person offering to send a proposal rather than close the business, then more fool you as you are giving the client the opportunity to give you the run around!
However, if a client asks for a proposal at the end of the meeting and no sale has been closed it means one of the following has happened.
- You've not convinced them to buy and they are fobbing you off
- You're not in front of the decision maker
- They may still be interested but are stalling the sale, possibly due to cashflow or other reasons
- They don't like you and want to give you loads of work to do!
Here are two easy ways to avoid writing endless proposals and losing control of the sale.
First establish are you infront of the decision maker. "What is the process following this meeting?" "Does anybody else need to be involved in making this decision?" are two questions that establish both the process and who is the decision maker. And remember if you do this early in the meeting before you've presented your benefits you automatically negate the refer to a higher authority objection later in the sale.
If the buyer answers anything other than a Yes to the above questions you are now in a two-part sales process and your meeting close now becomes closing a further meeting to present to the real buyer.
So now change your language in your tie-downs and test closes to reflect this for example "If you like what we talk about today can we agree a further meeting in the diary to include Mr. X?". "Following today's meeting what would need to happen next in order to meet with Mr. X?"
Second establish their time scales and available resources again through questions. "What are your time scales to begin this project / for delivery etc.?" "Are their any budget restraints right now that we need to be aware of?"
If there is no reason why the sale can't be closed there and then......then get on and close it you muppet.....ask for the business, followed by a firm handshake which signifies an emotional agreement.
If it's appropriate fill out the order form with the client whilst in situ, or if it is really necessary, then and only then should you offer to send through any paperwork, which should simply be the completed order form which only requires their signature. Better still agree a time when you will pop by for their paw print on the official documentation.
No more time wasted writing endless proposals, no more creating useless waste chopping down trees, no more dormant proposals lieing sleeping in a buyer's intray, no more time wasted doing endless rounds of follow up emails and phone calls!
Think how many more sales you will now make!
Incidentally exactly the same process applies over the telepone, close the sale before sending through the paperwork, which then simply becomes a formality.
Good luck this month!
